Trial in graft case against Tareque, his wife begins

Court Correspondent :
Trial in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2007 against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman has begun as the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court of Dhaka has framed charges against them in absentia.
Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order on Thursday.
Tarique and his wife’s lawyers sought permission to defend them in their absence but the court refused their plea.
On September 26, 2007, the anti-graft body filed the case with Kafrul Police Station in the capital against Tarique, his wife Zubaida and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu on the charges of amassing assets worth Tk 4,81,53,561 through illegal means and concealing the information of Tk 2.16 crore in their wealth statements.
The Investigation Officer of the case pressed charges against the three accused people with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka, on March 31, 2009. However, the trial proceedings against Iqbal Banu were rescinded.
Earlier, Tareque was sentenced to life in the prison in August 21grenade attack case. He was also sentenced to different terms of imprisonment in two cases, including the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.